Portable computing devices, such as palm-top computers, hand-held computers, notebook computers, personal computer tablets, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), have become increasingly popular. Portable computing devices generally use a base unit and a display assembly that is configured for the particular base display.
Meeting consumer demand for these various devices while maintaining low inventories and manufacturing costs is a challenge for manufacturers and retailers alike. One solution is to offer functionality of more than one portable computing device in a single assembly. For instance, some portable computing devices existing in the market today have display assemblies that can be configured with notebook and tablet PC functionality. Additionally, some portable computing devices are available that are configured with dual functionality base units in combination with multi-function displays. However, if consumers insist on separate portable computing devices (e.g., a unit dedicated to simply notebook functionality) because of cost, familiarity, or other reasons, these multi-function products result in increased inventory or tooling costs.